Air washer



K. K. WYATT,

AIR WASHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13. I919.

1,41 1,950. Patented Apr. 1, 1922..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' KIRKE K. WYATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, OF TWO-THIRDS TO THOMAS S. NQYES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AIR WASHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

T 0 all whom. it may concern Be it known that I, KIPKE K. WYA'I'I, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the countyof Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Air Washers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to air washers, and particularly to washers for usewith gas engines for washing the air before delivery to the explosivemixture, and the invention covers several improved features ofconstruction, arrangement and operation.

One of the important features resides in improved float construction andarrangement which will accurately and efliciently gauge the travel ofthe incoming air through the washer. Another important feature residesin improved means for giving warning when the water supply is low,preferably by preventing normal operation of the engine. Another featureresides in curved or arched baflle plates which will shed and preventaccumulation of moisture. Another feature resides in the generalconstruction and arrangement which makes the structure compact andefiiciently responsive.

The various features of my invention are clearly illustrated on theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view partlyin vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the float guiding tube.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on plane 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the upper part of the air inlet tubeshowing a modified guiding arrangement for the float stem, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fi 4.

The tank comprises a cylindrical body 5 and the funnel shaped base orbottom 6 constructed of sheet metal. The body has several annularcorrugations 7 which strengthen it, and at its lower end has the annularstrengthening ridge 8 just above the seam 9. The upper edge of the body5 is curled over to form a seat for the cover 10 of sheet metal. Thecover has the peri eral flange 11 and a short; distance within thisflange the cover top has the annular depression 12 so that an annularpocket is provided for the receiving of the washer 13 i of felt, rubberor other suitable material.

Threaded lugs 14 extend upwardly from the body 5 and through the coverto be recelved by nuts 15 to clamp the cover securely against the body,the washer- 13 causing a sealing fit. The section 16 of the cover withinthe depression 12 is arched and has the central opening 17 surrounded bythe upstanding flange 18. Extending through the opening 17 is thecylindrical filler neck 19 of sheet metal, which has the annular head 20near its middle, around which the flange 18 is bent and secured to holdthe filler neck securely in place. To further secure the neck and sealthe joint soldering or spot welding may be resorted to. A cap 21 isprovided for the filler neck and above the cover 16 the neck has the airinlet openlugs 22 covered by screening material 23.

Below the filler neck frame is the air inlet tube 24 which is of lessdiameter than the filler neck frame and has its flared upper end 25received by the conical end 26 of the filler neck frame and securedthereto as by soldering or welding. The tube 24 is thus rigidlysupported in axial alignment with the filler neckframe and it supports aplu-' ralit-y of baffle plates 27 provided with air passageways 28. Thebafile plates are preferably dished or arched upwardly so that they willshed accumulated moisture toward their outer edges, the plates being ofslightly less diameter than the body 5 to permit dripping off of themoisture.

Slidable Within the air tube 24 is the float tube 29 which has securedto its lower tube the receiving and supporting hood 30 for the float 31.At its upper end the tube 29 has the annular bearing ridges 32 whichengage with. the sides of the air tube 24 to prevent air flow betweenthe tubes. The float 31 is of elliptical cross section and is held inthe hood 30 by arms or tongues 33 preferably stamped out of the hoodmaterial. The tongues are deflected inwardly and are secured at theirinner ends to the top of the float and keep. the periphery of the floatseparate by an annular gap 34 from the periphery of the hood.

The arms are narrow and only enough of them are provided to support the'float, the annular gap bein therefore practically continuous and unbroen for the unrestricted flow of air.

: The water w in the tank receives the float and the float supports thehood 30 and upper part of the tank 5.

the tube 29, these parts rising and falling as the water level changes.The dimensions of the float are such that it will keep the gap 34 at alltimes at such distance below the to of the water that the air drawn inthrougli the tubes and the hood must flow for a certain distance throughthe water before it can reach the air outlet 35 at the This outlet 35 isusually connected with an engine carburetorv so that when the engine isin operation the air will be drawn out of the tank and outside air drawnthereinto through the openings 22, the air flowing down through thetubes 24 and 29 and the hood 30, and must pass through the gap below thesurface of the water before reaching the interior of the tank, the airthus moistened flowing throu h the openings '28 in the various baflle pates 27 to escape through the outlet 35. The baflie plate openings 28are large and in staggered arrangement, the object of the battle platesbeing to check and hold back any water particles and to allow onlymoistened air to reach the outlet 35. Any moisture on the to or bottomsurfaces of the baffle plates, wil on account of the plate curvature,flow toward the outer edges of the baffle plates and drip therefrom backinto the tank. When the tongues 33 are stamped from the hood passageways36 are left and the float is preferab y. so buoyant that it will keepthe upper ends of these passagewa s above the water surface. Theseexpose passageways permit direct out-flow of air from the hood 30 intothe tank but the combined area of the exposed passageways is so smallthat it will not interfere with the efficient normal operation of thedevice. On the other hand the advantage of the openings is that when anengine is started it can get sufiicient direct air supply through thesepassageways to permit starting to be readily accomplished. When theengine is under headway then practically all the air flows through thegap 34 and through the water.

The elliptical float offers the arched or convexed top to the incomingair and causes gradual lateral depression and downward ow of the airtoward the gap 34, the resistance to the air flow bein thus materiallyreduced over that where tfie float is cylindrical with a flat top.

The hood 30 is of such curvature that it will co-operate with the convexfloat to direct the air to strike at right angles against the water inthe gap 34. As the gap is practically continuous and unbroken the air isfree throughout the extent thereof to strike the water and is notdeflected laterally, the result being that the air is entirely broken upinto minute bubbles which permits the most thorough and eflicientwashing and cleaning thereof.

To assist in guiding the float tube 29 a guide wire or rod 37 isprovided, the rod being secured at its lower end to the sheet metalcross frame 38 secured in the upper end of the tube 29. As shown inFigs. 2 and 3 this cross frame is formed from a blank of sheet metalwith its ends split and the adjacent sections bent to form flanges 39 bymeans of which the frame can be soldered or otherwise secured againstthe inside of the tube 29. At its center the frame has the semi-circulardeflections 40 and 41 for re ceiving the guide rod 37 the rod beingsecured thereto by soldering or otherwise. The rod extends upwardlythrough. the guide frame 42 inserted at the entrance of the tube 24, andthis uide frame may be of a construction similar to that of the frame38. At its upper end the rod carries a valve disc 43 whose diameter isslightl less than that of the tube 24. To enable t e valve disc to bereadily removed it is secured between nuts 44 engaging the threadedouter end of the rod. Under normal conditions of operation the waterlevel is such in the tank that the float structure will keep the valve43 up in the neck frame well above the inlet to tube 24 so that the aircan flow unobstructedly through the tubes 24 and 29. As the waterbecomes used up in moistening the air the float descends and eventuallyif the water supply is not replenished the valve 43 will assume aposition in the mouth of the tube 24 (shown in dotted lines) to leavethen only the restricted annular pasageway a for the flow of air intothe device. However, suf ficientair can travel through this gap to justabout keep the engine going, but such restricted engine operation willinform the operator that the water supply is low and he will then refillthe tank. He can readily do this by removin the cap 21 and pouring waterdown throng the neck frame and the tubes, or he can pour water throughthe overflow tube 45 which projects into the tank through the opening 46in the tank side wall. This overflow pipe will prevent water from beingfilled in above a fixed level. The dirt accumulating in the tank after aperiod of air washing can be withdrawn through the drain opening 47after withdrawing. the closure plug 48. The drain outlet is strengthenedby a bushing 49 into which the plug threads.

In Fig. 1 theguide bar 42 is secured in the air inlet tube 24 bysoldering. In the modified construction of Figs. 4 and 5 a readilyremovable guide bar 50 is provided. As best shown in Fig. 5 the guidebar is in the form of a sheet metal cotter pin which has-its limbs bentto form the op sed semi-circular sections 51 and 52 which orm theguide-way for the rod or stem 37. The pin is inserted through the oenings 53 and 54 in the opposite sides of t e tube 24, the opening 53being of suificient .width to accommodate the expanded part 51 and 52,and the pin limbs adjacent the head 55 being expanded to fill theopening 53 to prevent turning of the pin and keep its guide sections 51and 52 invertical alignment. After the pin has been in serted its ends56 and 57- are deflected over and the pin is securely locked in place.

When it is desired to remove the float structure the nuts 44 and valvedisc are removed and the float structure then withdrawn. If itis desiredto remove the pin its ends are bent into parallelism and the pin canthen be withdrawn through'the opening 53. As the pin is of sheet metalits limbs can readily be spread apart, and the pin withdrawn withoutremoving float structure and the nuts 44 canbe eliminated and the valvedisc permanently secured on the rod 37. Both the bar structure 42 andthe pin structure 50 will serve as an abutment for limiting the downwardmovement of the float structure, the downward movement being stoppedwhen the valve disc reaches the guide bar or pin and the valve disc isin proper position for choking the air inlet.

My improved structure is of compact, durable and eflicient construction.The gap 34 between the float and its supporting hood is of such natureas to cause the air to be thoroughly broken up and to travel through thewater in the form of small bubbles, thus assuring thorough washing. Theentire air inlet and fioat structure together with the baflie plates arecarried by the cover so that when the nuts 15 are withdrawn the coverwith all these parts can be removed from the tank 5, the baflle platesbeing of slightly less diameter than the interior of the tank suchremoval of the parts can readily be accomplished. After removal of thecover with the parts supported thereby the float structure can readilybe withdrawn by removing the nuts 44 and the disc 43 or by withdrawingthe cotter pin 50.

I do not desire to be limited to the precise construction andarrangement shown and described as changes may be made which will stillcome within the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim as follows:

1. In an air washer, the combination of a tank for containing cleaningfluid, an air inlet tube extending downwardly into said tank from thetop thereof, an air outlet, a float tube extending upwardly into saidair inlet tube and having a flared lower end forming a hood presenting aconcave inner surface, a float within said hood presenting an upperconvex surface, said float being supported from said hood, the loweredge of said hood and the periphery of said float being separated adistance to leave an unobstructed annular gap in a horizontal place,

when the water level drops.

said concave and convex surfaces being of such curvature. as 'to form agradually converging annular nozzle free from abrupt turns and havingits outlet at said gap, the air entering through said inlet tube flowingthrough said nozzle and entirely unobstructed through said outlet andacqulring velocity during its flow through the nozzle whereby it will beprojected with considerable force at right angles against the cleaningfluid and downwardly therethrough to be thoroughly broken up andcleaned, said float serving to keep said nozzle outlet a distance belowthe surface of the cleaning fluid.

2. In 'an air washin device the combination 'of a tank for was ingfluid, an air inlet tube extending downwardly into said tank andterminating above the fluid therein, a guide tube extending into thelower end of said inlet tube to form a continuation thereof andterminating below the surface of the fluid, a float secured in the lowerend of said guide tube to hold saidtube at its lower end below the fluidsurface, a rod extending upwardly from said guide tube, a valve at theupper end of said rod, said valve being adapted to partially close saidair inlet pipe 3. In an air washin device the combination of a tank forwas in fluid, an air inlet tube extending downwar ly into said tank andterminating above the fluid therein, a guide tube extending into thelower'end of said inlet tube to form a continuation thereof andterminating below the surface of the fluid, a float secured in the lowerend of said guide tube to hold said tube at its lower end below thefluid surface, a rod extending upwardly from said guide tube, a platesecured at the upper end of said rod of slightly less diameter than thatat the entrance of the air intake tube, said plate engaging in said airinlet tube to restrict the air inflow when the float and its guide tubedrop with the descending water level.

4. In an air washing device the combination of a tank for cleaningfluid, a removable cover therefor, a cylindrical inlet frame sup-.ported on said cover and extending a distance into said tank, an inlettube extending from the lower end of said inlet-frame partly throughsaid tank and terminating above the fluid, said tank having an outletfor washed air, a guide tube slidable in said inlet tube to form acontinuation thereof and terminating below the surface of the fluid, afloat secured in the lower end of said guide tube for holding said tubebelow ported in the lower end of said guide tube for keeping thelower'edge of said tube below the surface of the fluid, a guide rodextending upwardly from said tube, a guide bar in said air inlet tubefor said guide rod, a plate detachably secured to the upper end of saidguide rod and being of slightly smaller diameter than that of the airintake tube whereby when said float drops a certain distance said platewill be within said air intake tube to restrict the flow of airtherethrough.

6, In an air washing device the combination with a tank for containingwashing fluid, an air inlet tube extending downwardly into the tank, afloat structure telescopically engaging in said air tube, a guide rodextending upwardl from said float structure through saidair inlet tube,and a KIRKE K. WYATT.

